Pleasurable Expectations

f o r t y - t h r e e

Sienna and I were at the hospital in what felt like no time. As soon as the words "Jeremiah" and "shot" left her mouth, I called a Lyft. I didn't waste any time asking questions. Instead, I stepped into my heels and raced downstairs, like being downstairs and clocking every car that passed would make the Lyft come faster.

Sienna was right behind me, her feet practically stepping on my heels as she hurried to keep up. She hadn't even had the opportunity to change—her scarf was still tied around the two pigtail braids of her hair, King's sweatshirt and sweats swallowing her body.

I lost all sense of time as I watched the streetlights pass outside the car window. My mind barely registered Sienna's hand on my shoulder as I chewed on my bottom lip. All I could think about was Jeremiah and whether or not he was okay.

I said a thank you over my shoulder and hurried through the hospital doors. I paused before I found the sign that pointed towards the waiting room. I pushed the doors open, and a few heads snapped up.

"Ara, let's not burst into waiting rooms like in the movies," Sienna said as she appeared behind me.

I ignored her as my eyes scanned the room, looking for King. I didn't remember most of the trip from King's to the hospital, but I did remember Sienna telling me King would be waiting right here.

"Where is King?" I whipped around to face Sienna. "He said he'd be here."

"I don't know," Sienna said with a shrug. "Bathroom maybe?"

I smacked my teeth and said, "He needs to hurry his ass up."

"Chill, Ara. He's gonna be right back."

"Nah, don't tell me to chill," I said as I shook my head. "Your boyfriend is the only person who can tell me what's up, so I need him to hurry his ass up."

Before Sienna could respond, King pushed through the waiting room doors, his phone pressed to his ear. Sienna and I shared a look before she crossed over to him, her arm wrapping around his as he spoke urgently into the phone.

The next few minutes were agonizing as we took a seat against the wall, King still on the phone. Sienna was now holding his hand, her thumb circling around the pad of his thumb. I, on the other hand, was staring him down, my leg jittering as I continued to gnaw my lip raw.

"King, I'm gonna need you to explain," I said as soon as he ended the call.

"Hold on a sec," Sienna said as she pulled King's attention to her.

"Si, I told you I'm tryna get answers."

Sienna's eyes flicked over to me, a glint of annoyance in them. "I get that, but can you chill just for a sec?"

I fixed her with an incredulous look. "What's the issue? I wanna know if Jeremiah's okay, and King—"

"Kiara, you are gonna give me a second," she said, an unusual firmness to her tone. "You're worried about your man, but I'm worried about mine."

Sienna left it at that, her full attention finding King. I was a non-issue right now as she checked in on him. I watched as she doted over him, something she didn't often do. Her hand rested at the nape of his neck as she continued to rub circles on his hand. She whispered as she spoke, so quiet I couldn't distinguish what she was saying from next to them.

I was so worried about Jeremiah I didn't even notice Sienna had every right to be concerned about King. He had this glossed-over look in his eye as Sienna talked to him like his thoughts were somewhere else.

I glanced down and noticed dried blood crusted on his hands. His fingers rubbed together, reddish-brown flakes trickling down to the matching stains on his knees. It was only then that I noticed traces of blood all over King. On his shoes, the cuff and collar of his shirt—there was even a little just above his eyebrow.